Flunked, on Netflix: our review of Alexandre Komineks series

François Uzan has helped Alexandre Kominek finally land his first role on screen. In “Recalé,” the comedian from Geneva plays a thug turned math teacher to avoid jail. This romantic-dramatic-comedy-thriller showcases a talented fellow countryman in the realm of French fiction.

We’ve been waiting for this for a long time. Since his early days on stage, Alexandre Kominek has always felt a bit constrained in the role of joke provider. As expressive in body as in language, a healthy madness bursting the seams of stand-up comedy, a need to feel, provoke, externalize, to embody something greater.

A time bomb disguised as a comedian, like a fine wine perfecting its taste slowly. In recent months, the 36-year-old from Geneva has flourished. A detonation felt from the Arena in Geneva to the Olympia in Paris. His show “Bâtard Sensible” is set to air on Canal+ next May, major media outlets are clamoring for him, and Netflix is rolling out the red carpet for his first leading role in a 100% French comedy-drama series.

In “Recalé,” by François Uzan, Kominek portrays a crook who must transform into a math teacher at a high school to avoid seven years in prison. Inspector Lucie Laumier (Laurence Arnéc) is determined to catch a dangerous criminal and forces him into this educational infiltration. The mission? Identify the son of the villain Sagirov before the final exams.

Welcome to Netflix, Alexandre Kominek.